It is oftentimes necessary, or at least desirable, to provide various readily visible guides to direct traffic flow or establish traffic patterns. Such is the case, for example, where it is desired that vehicular traffic follow a particular route, such as being directed into a proper lane of a multilane highway. While such routing might be marked by painted lines or the like on the highway itself, it has been found that this is often not satisfactory in accomplishing the intended end.
It has also been suggested that posts embedded in the highway might also be utilized to route vehicular traffic, but such posts, if rigid, have been found to require seemingly continuous maintenance and replacement due to breakage primarily from vehicle contact.
To avoid breakage, it has also previously been suggested that boundary markers and other signal devices could either be made of a flexible material or at least have a capability of being deflected. An example of the flexible type marker is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,647, while examples of other deflectable markers or signal devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,485,201; 3,478,714; 3,279,133; 3,851,616; 1,939,968; 3,705,566 and 3,792,679 and Belgian Pat. No. 642,468 and French Pat. No. 1,482,473.
Boundary markers and signal devices of the foregoing type have not proved, however, to be completely successful in satisfying at least some needs, due to, among other reasons, failure to provide satisfactory visible indications both during the day and at night, breakage despite their ability to be deflected, being adversely affected by weather and other environmental conditions and/or difficulty in maintenance.